If you are left-handed, you were probably put on a guilt trip for bumping elbows during Thanksgiving dinner as your family joked about how you are “never right.” Society has indeed come a long way from accusing left-handers of witchcraft and using “sinister” interchangeably with left, but most environments still fail to acknowledge the needs of left-handed people, and this university is no exception. Inadequate numbers of left-handed desks result in health issues and the failure to complete essays in the allotted timeframe.
It is no secret that left-handers are already at a disadvantage pretty much everywhere. More than 2,500 left handers are killed each year using right-handed tools. Most knives, for example, have blades specifically designed for the right hand. But if left handers have always used right-handed knives, they likely don’t notice their disadvantage. A study even shows left-handed surgeons have a longer learning curve simply due to the lack of available left-handed materials. From white out tape to engraving tools, there has come a point in every job that my ability to complete a task has felt hindered by my handedness.
Though schools and universities should be teaching students how to overcome their differences, the lack of left-handed materials instead teaches children that their needs are inferior. Starting in kindergarten, ill-fitting right-handed scissors foreshadow a lifetime of clumsily using supplies designed for others. While college courses no longer utilize scissors and three-ring binders, the lack of left-handed desks is still a major problem.
Since left-handed people make up only 10 percent of the population, it is not surprising that classrooms cater to the majority and fail to provide adequate numbers of left-handed desks. Unfortunately, the effects are worse than many realize, and using incorrect desks enforce body alignments that are unhealthy for the shoulder, wrist, neck and back. To make matters worse, that awkward posture sometimes leads to accusations of cheating. Personally, the muscle cramps caused by right-handed desk usage has conditioned me to write with my arm hooked, which is both uncomfortable and slows down my speed on timed tests.
Without adequate left-handed seating, the question remains if my grade could have been better with access to a proper desk. It is frustrating to know all the answers on a test, but fail to complete it in time due to muscle cramps and awkward postures (as if smudging all over the essay and Scantron is not enough of an obstacle). Left-handers have a lifetime to feel the effects of a condition that is not their fault, but the university should take responsibility for providing fair desks.